Can they build and own the work?
Technical execution, production ownership, and learning velocity show whether a candidate can turn an ambiguous problem into a working system.
DIMENSIONS 01 · 04 · 06
PUBLIC STANDARD VERSION 1.1
The evidence standard for Forward Deployed Engineers.
The FDE role combines technical execution with customer-facing judgment. This rubric makes the bar visible: seven dimensions, two cores, and one rule—no assessment claim without evidence.
07Dimensions
02Core profiles
01Evidence rule
THE STANDARD IN ONE LINE
Can you build the system, explain the decision, own the outcome, and respond when the happy path breaks?
HOW TO READ THE RUBRIC
Two cores.
One multiplier.
A strong FDE is not the average of a builder and a communicator. The standard looks for credible strength in both—and the drive to keep growing.
Can they own the client-facing decision?
Communication, context extraction, and judgment show whether a candidate can find the right problem and earn trust around the solution.
DIMENSIONS 02 · 03 · 05Do they have the itch to do the work?
The kida is the intrinsic drive to build, learn, investigate, and remain accountable. It raises—or caps—the impact of both cores.
DIMENSION 07THE SEVEN DIMENSIONS
Score the evidence.
Not the vocabulary.
Each dimension is evaluated on a five-point scale. Every score must be supported by something the engineer actually built, decided, explained, or learned.
01Executional core
Technical execution & AI fluency
Evidence of real work across full-stack engineering, DevOps, SRE, and AI systems—including models, tools, guardrails, evaluations, reliability, and cost.
STRONG EVIDENCE
Can explain how the system worked, what broke, and why the technical decisions were made.
02Judgment core
Communication & executive presence
Clear, structured thinking that can move between engineering detail and an outcome-first explanation for a business leader.
STRONG EVIDENCE
Can compress complexity into a conclusion, a next step, and the decision required.
03Judgment core
Context extraction & business fluency
The ability to uncover the real workflow inside partial documentation, hidden exceptions, competing goals, and organizational constraints.
STRONG EVIDENCE
Investigates before building and can reshape a workflow without ignoring the people inside it.
04Executional core
Ownership & outcome orientation
Accountability for results in production—not activity, features, or effort—and the willingness to stay on the hook when the system fails.
STRONG EVIDENCE
Speaks concretely about what shipped, what changed, and what they personally owned.
05Judgment core
Judgment
Knowing when AI is appropriate, when it is not, where a human must decide, and how the thousand unhappy paths affect the design.
STRONG EVIDENCE
Can right-size the solution and reason about risk, reliability, cost, and return.
06Executional core
Learning velocity & coachability
How quickly someone can acquire unfamiliar tools, close a skill gap, respond to feedback, and become useful in a new environment.
STRONG EVIDENCE
Shows a repeatable way of learning through building—not just consuming information.
07Multiplier
The kida & role fit
The intrinsic itch to build, investigate, and own the outcome—even when nobody has written the ticket or supplied the clean answer.
STRONG EVIDENCE
Is energized by ambiguity, customer proximity, and being accountable for what happens next.
TIER-RELATIVE WEIGHTING
Meet engineers where they are.
An Associate is evaluated for executional strength and upside. An experienced FDE is expected to carry more independent judgment. The dimensions stay the same; their emphasis changes.
DimensionAssociateExperienced
01Technical execution & AI fluency25%22%
02Communication & executive presence10%15%
03Context extraction & business fluency10%20%
04Ownership12%13%
05Judgment10%12%
06Learning velocity18%8%
07The kida & role fit15%10%
On the Associate track, context extraction and judgment are assessed as potential—not used as an unfair senior-level gate.
THE CAREER LADDER
Placement is part of the result.
010–2 years
Associate FDE
Strong executional signal, learning velocity, and kida. Executes a defined roadmap and develops the judgment core with senior support.
022–5 years
Forward Deployed Engineer
Solid across both cores. Can run a deployment with light oversight and own the system from customer context through production outcomes.
035+ years
Senior FDE / Lead
Strong technical execution, context extraction, and executive presence. Owns client judgment and leads the full engagement.
WHERE WE DRAW THE LINES
The rubric informs a human decision. It does not replace one.
Evidence required. No score without a specific supporting example or statement.
Job-related signals only. Protected attributes are never part of the assessment.
Tier-relative review. Candidates are assessed against the level they are ready to perform.
Human accountability. The system proposes; a person approves every hiring decision.
Private by default. Scores, evidence, transcripts, and recommendations never appear on a public profile.
USE THE STANDARD